Another catch-up on my Goodbeing subscription! December went by so quickly, I completed my graduate school studies (phew!) and then was traveling a lot for the holidays. The December Goodbeing box I received was a lovely mix of products for the season.

The Goodbeingbox* I received for the month of November arrived right as I was packing to leave for Thanksgiving celebrations at my in-laws’ house. It had been a very busy month and the quote included in my Goodbeing box helped me step back for a moment, and I was reminded to be thankful to my loved ones who inspire and encourage me. From the French-German theologian, Albert Schweitzer: “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has come to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

You may not see many subscription box reviews on this blog, and that’s because I never really jumped on that bandwagon. I think it’s a great concept, but for my mindset and lifestyle (and the amount of products I accumulate on my own as it is,) I’ve just never felt the desire to commit to subscription boxes. However, I was sent a Goodbeing* box for October (see my past Goodbeing reviews here) and since a lot has changed with this subscription service, I figured it’d be a useful review to write. Read on to see what’s new with Goodbeing and what makes this subscription box stand apart from the rest.

The months of May and June were crunchtime for wedding and moving prep, (not to mention also finals time for grad school) so I didn’t get around to posting about the Goodbeing boxes that I received. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on both the May and June Goodbeing boxes and my last post as a Goodbeing ambassador:

Pardon this late post, it’s been quite a busy month! My April box from Goodbeing came at a convenient time, right before my Bachelorette party weekend! I always love receiving trial-size products before a big trip since I’ll be able to try out new things and easily bring less with me. Overall, I was very impressed with this month’s box and how appropriate they were to take with me on my weekend trip to Myrtle Beach!

This month’s Goodbeing box was probably the best box I’ve received so far! I’ve been receiving these boxes thanks to Goodbeing so that I can experience their services and share my honest response. Goodbeing is the “OG” personalized, monthly subscription box for natural beauty and wellness goods. Previously known as Goodebox, Goodbeing has very affordable pricing plans and partners with many trusted, top-notch brands to provide what I believe is the best subscription box out there for green beauty and wellness. For more info about Goodbeing and to see what I received in January and February, check out my post HERE.

Take a look around the web and you’ll probably find any type of subscription box imaginable. Formerly Goodebox, Goodbeing is a personalized subscription box featuring 4-5 trial-sized natural beauty and wellness products shipped to your door every month. Goodebox was one of the first green beauty and skincare subscription boxes that I’d heard of since I started blogging and now as Goodbeing, the brand still continues to be a subscription box that you can trust for safe and healthy, expertly curated products.

I’ve been receiving Goodbeing boxes* to try out their new services and I wanted to share with you my experience so far as well as what was in the January and February boxes I received.

Use my referral link to receive a free bonus item in your first Goodbeing box when you subscribe! (Offer ends March 30, 2016)

For all you beauty subscription box lovers, there’s a new girl in town and her name is Ecopique.Taking a unique twist on the popular concept, Ecopique is a monthly subscription box service that is specifically aimed at providing bloggers with green beauty products. The goal of this service is to allow bloggers an easier and regularly occurring way to connect with brands and products they may not have otherwise been aware of. Ecopique also emphasizes the importance of supporting local green beauty brands. Stay tuned for more information about Ecopique and check out their website for launch detailsor follow them on Twitter.

Meet Ecopique: A better way to discover all-natural personal care and home good alternatives. Ecopique is dedicated to providing an easy way for consumers to make smarter and healthier decisions about the beauty and household products they purchase. Our mission is to make all natural living no longer a trend, but an integral part of everyday life.

I was very excited when the team at Ecopique asked if I wanted to participate in their pilot program and receive a green beauty box.Being a subscription box virgin, I enjoyed the surprise of receiving a mystery box full of new products I might love. Each product included in the box was hand-picked and tested by the Ecopique team. I was impressed with the first Ecopique box and am curious to see what else is in store. (Plus, the Ecopique color scheme is so cute! I love anything turquoise!)

Products I found to be interesting:AEOS: Cleansing Oil De-Maq:The packaging is luxurious and eye-catching, very chic. Plus it smells amazing! The scent is a mix of citrus and floral and is very refreshing. The formula itself I found to be a bit thick and greasy to my liking but it does remove makeup (including heavy eye-makeup) very well. Due to its thicker texture, the De-Maq keeps the skin very moisturized and never dry nor flakey. I found that my favorite way to use this yellow-tinted cleansing oil was dabbed on a cotton pad. The twist-open bottle top was not the best design idea either. Though pretty and unique, this should have had a pump or an open cap design, as it was a bit messy to get the cleansing oil out of the tube. Overall, I liked this cleansing oil and it was definitely a nice find! I’d love to try more AEOS products.
AEOS is an organic skincare line from the UK: “AEOS products contain organic and biodynamic plant extracts, essences and essential oils, as well as spagyric tinctures of crystal energies, and the waveforms of colour.”Ingredients: Vitis Vinidera (Grape) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil, Squalane (plant derived), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Oil, Linalool*, Triticum Aestivum (Spelt) Germ Extract, Tocopherol, Garaniol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Limonane* *from natural essential oils Colour: natural green – 100% natural and plant derived.Price:Based on my research, this Cleansing Oil is currently only available online from Europe for about £39.99 or $65.93 for 75ml (2.64fl oz).

Angel Face Botanicals Lavender & Aloe Balancing Facial Toner:This toner combines some really nice ingredients and leaves a cool, reviving feeling with each spritz. I loved how smooth it left my skin and I noticed less redness and shine on my face after use. I was pleased at how well the spritzer fully distributed the toner from the bottle. Many toners I’ve tried have faulty nozzles that spritz pathetic amounts out. The product’s aromatic ingredients produce a very calming effect and I actually tried spritzing this on my body as well. The scent was particularly strong to me for use on my face so I’m not sure how much I like it as a regular, everyday toner. I do like how simple and effective the ingredients are as well as the affordable prices and size options.
Angel Face Botanicals is a brand based out of Soquel, California featuring a “full line of facial & body care products handmade with natural ingredients & scented with therapeutic grade essential oils to heal, nurture & product indulging your senses with luxury.”Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Lavendula angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Distillate, Salix nigra (Organic Black Willowbark) Extract, Vaccinium angustifolium (Organic Wild Blueberry) Extract, Aspalathus lineans (Organic Rooibos Tea) Extract, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Lavandula angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Essential Oil, Polysorbate, Citric Acid, Reiki Healing Energy & lots of love!! *Certified Organic IngredientsPrice: $10/2.2oz, $18/4.5oz, $32/9oz

Benedetta Control Creme: I thought this was a very interesting multi-use cream product that claims to treat acne, irritation, bug bites, rosacea, blisters, excessive oil and more. I applied this as an acne spot treatment and it did lessen the appearance of my acne within a few days. This was a fast, effective product that I did enjoy using. The only thing I didn’t like was the smell. No matter how little product I used (and you don’t need to apply a lot,) the product emitted a strong, herbal scent that did not dissipate. Might sound strange but it reminded me of old maple syrup or caramelized sugar. I loved the results from using this cream but the smell was a bit off-putting. Being scent-sensitive, I don’t know if I could bring myself to purchase this. However, the ingredient list is 100% botanical and 98% organic and the rapid effectiveness of this product is very intriguing to me. I enjoyed using this and would love to see how well it works for bug bites and other topical irritations. I think a lot of people would like this and should give it a try.
Benedetta is a brand based in Sonoma County, California and is “an authentic, 100% farm-sourced botanical skincare line. Encompassing ingredients sourced directly from certified organic and biodynamic farms, many domestic. The sweet aromatic and fresh smell of each formula comes directly from the synergy of active ingredients—never fragranced…Each product is prepared in small batches to assure viability and freshness.”Ingredients:Aloe Vera, Foraha, Proprietary Blend of Essential Oils, Soy Lecithin, Bee Propolis, Vegetable Cellulose. Contains: Certified Organic, Certified Biodynamic, Sustainably Grown and Wildcrafted Ingredients.Price: $25/0.5oz(15ml)

Overall, I really admire the idea behind Ecopique and I think a service like this could really benefit both bloggers and small brands. I was pleased with the amount of information provided about each product within the box which is necessary for a research junkie like me. I would have liked to see more information about the brands themselves. To my surprise, there was also a fair mix of sample size and full-size products included. I think the Ecopique team did a great job of providing interesting, effective products with notable ingredients and mostly natural/organic formulations. If you’re a blogger or just a curious green beauty junkie, I think Ecopique would be a wonderful service to try and to discover new products that are not so mainstream.

Do you belong to any beauty subscription boxes and if so, which ones? Would you try Ecopique?

*Products were provided for my consideration. This review is based on my honest opinions and personal experience.